Takako Kondo, Ph.D.
The Research
Indiana University School of Medicine
Role of T1x3 signaling in inner ear sensory neuron development
The primary goal of this study is to elucidate novel functions of the Y1x3-class homeobox gene 3 (T1x3) in the development of inner ear sensory neurons. The specific aims in this study are: (1) To test whether T1x3 is required for normal development of inner ear sensory neurons, and (2) To test whether T1x3 is sufficient for multipotent progenitor cells in the early embryonic ear to become competent to commit to a glutamatergic neural subtype. The long-term goal of this study is to clearly understand the molecular mechanisms underlying specification of auditory and vestibular neurons.